Also see: 2013 DPL/Ontario Blue Jays scout blogsI
was able to watch this year’s edition of the top Dominican Prospect
League prospects play in Florida over a four day period last week,
including multiple full practices and a couple of games.
This
year’s group, which almost all being eligible to sign on July 2, is
very different from last year’s DPL prospects.
The 2012 DPL class had star power in outfielder Gustavo Cabrera, who
ended up signing with the Giants for $1.3 million, and a large group
of talented middle infielders and premium position talent.
The
2013 class lacks the same middle of the field athleticism at first
evaluation, but makes up for that in big and projectable outfielders
with plus power potential. The quality of the four pitchers who
traveled with the DPL to Florida surpasses anything in the 2012 class
as well.
It
is important to remember how young these top Dominican prospects are
in relation to the top United States prospects that will be eligible
for the 2013 draft and will be signing at about the same time this
summer. They are all 15 or 16 years old and their birthdates
correspond with players in the 2015 and even the 2016 classes in the
United States. As everyone knows, player’s bodies and tool sets
can change significantly from 15 to 18 years old, making evaluating
and projecting the young Dominicans even more difficult.

Position
Players
OF
Leonardo Molina
(6-3/165, R/R, 8/1/97)Molina
shows the potential to be a potential five-tool player and he won’t
even turn 16 years old until August 1. He ran the fastest 60 of the
DPL prospects at 6.49 and has easy outfield actions and a strong
throwing arm that paint him as potential above average defensive
centerfielder. He has a nice and loose right-handed swing with
present bat speed and good extension out front, although he tends to
get out of control at times and has some swing-and-miss at present.
If the bat continues to improve as he gets stronger, he has the
highest ceiling among this group of DPL prospects.

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